Star Wars: Reborn Menace Chronicles
by Edward Anthony Ferris
Summary: 47 ABY. The Galaxy is left in turmoil and uncertainty, shattered by war and corruption. Crime runs rampant, the Alliance is fragmented, and the Empire is rebuilding. Strange movements are made in the shadows of the Dark Side, and an insidious force from a time long past has arisen to take up the mantle of the Sith. A new war is upon the Galaxy, one that threatens to end everything.
1. Winds of Change

_Star Wars- Reborn Menace Chronicles_

_Chapter I- Winds of Change_

Author's Note: There are no books that directly follow the year 45ABY (as of 7/13/14), therefore I have written my own continuation, in my own image. Consider this story AU if you wish, though my intentions were never to alter the original timeline. Enjoy!

_Coruscant, Senate Chamber._

_47 ABY._

_Han Solo._

The Galaxy was a dangerous, chaotic place.

From the Dark Nest Crisis, to my son becoming Darth Caedus and being killed by my daughter, to the Alliance and the Empire becoming allies, and then to the Jedi being alienated and kicked off Coruscant.

The past twelve years hadn't been a real picnic for anyone.

The Empire had been moving, but even my best friend, and Grand Master of the Jedi Order, wasn't sure what had been going on. Ships were going missing in the Outer Rim, only to wind up drifting into occupied space with the crews completely gone. The Empire had expanded exponentially, controlling a third of the known Galaxy. They were almost as large as the Alliance at this point. Seperate governments, usually consisting of a dozen or so planets, had formed independently all over the Galaxy, wanting nothing more to do with either side. The criminal underground factions like the Hutts and the Vendega Crime Family had all but claimed their old territories, reaping the rewards of a distracted Empire and fractured Alliance. Admiral Daala led a rogue Imperial Fleet into battle against all who opposed her, slavery was rising in the Outer Rim, and tensions were again slowly building between the Empire and the Galactic Alliance. There were so many questions that needed to be answered. What was the Empire doing? What was going on behind the scenes of both factions, hiding out in the shadows and driving Jedi Master Secura so nuts? And when would the Galactic Alliance finally get their act together? We didn't even have a government, anarchy ruled the streets on every world. We needed a new Senate, a new Prime Minister, and most of all we needed the Jedi back as a part of this system. We needed, as much as I hated the thought of it, to go to war and make profits. Take the fight to the scumbags that owned this galaxy. Maybe that would bring us out of this hole, and answer our questions.

_Or maybe,_ I thought, putting a hand on Leia's shoulder and giving it a loving squeeze, _we're about to have our questions answered early._

What I was referring to, was the massive holoscreen that was up in the Senate chamber, being watched by thousands of representatives. Yet, I noticed, our Imperial friends were not present. In fact, I hadn't seen an Imp since last week. But we were here now, staring at the confusing scene on the holomonitor. I stood next to Leia, who had arrived to speak to Chief of State Wynn Dorvan, meeting him as an old friend and not as a representative of the Jedi. Jedi Master Talos Secura, however, _was_ here to once again negotiate the return of Luke's Academy.

But none of that mattered now, not when each one of us could only stare at the screen and try to hide the sinking feeling in our guts.

The image showed the Capitol Building on the Imperial homeworld of Bastion. The building was the home of the Head of State Jagged Fel, my son in law. Above the flight of white marble steps that from the streets into the building proper, was a wide half-moon balcony overlooking the entire city.

And kneeling on that balcony, their heads covered by black hoods, were three figures. Two were male, one definitely female, though their identities were unknown.

"Han," Leia said softly, "Han this isn't good, I can feel it."

"It's not Jaina," I assured her, "Secura said she was on Shedu Maad when he left."

She shook her head, eyes transfixed on the screen. "I know it's not her. But think about this: This broadcast is on every HoloNet screen in the Galaxy right now, in every home from commoners to royalty. What's so important that everyone has to see it? Han, this looks...this looks like an execution."

I kept silent, knowing she was right. That's exactly what it looked like.

The three figures just knelt there, unable or unwilling to move.

"Luke says there's been a lot going on in the Force," I said, trying to keep her attention off the screen.

Leia nodded, "The Dark Side is as powerful now as it was when the Emperor was around."

I'd heard her say this before, but still didn't understand it. "With Lumiya and...Jacen gone, how is there still a Dark Side at all?"

It was Talos Secura who answered before Leia could. "Because I've been telling the Jedi, and the Alliance, about movement in the Dark Side for twelve years. We've been in one war to the next, and unable to chase the leads. And with Lumiya and Caedus-"

"Jacen-" I spat.

"-gone we thought it was over, but we were wrong. And I'm pretty sure we're about to find out just how wrong we were." He inclined his head towards the screen.

Ten- no, twelve- figures had now joined the three on the balcony, these newcomers standing fully upright and forming a half-circle around the three in the center. Now, keeping in mind that I was certainly no expert on the Force, but these people reminded me of the holos I'd seen of the original Emperor, all decked out in black cloaks with their faces hidden like that. Gave me bad vibes all around.

Beside me, Leia and Secura gasped in unison.

"What?" I asked.

"Han..." Leia said softly.

"They are Sith," Secura explained, his voice tense as drawn wire, "The Dark Side radiates from them like a beacon. Especially the man in the center."

As if on cue, the hooded figure in the middle of the half-ring stepped forward, and yanked the hood off the man kneeing at his feet.

It was Jagged Fel.

"Head of State," came a voice over the speakers in the Senate Chamber. Never, in all my years of traveling from one side of the galaxy to the other, had I heard such..._hate_, in a single voice. Like the angriest, most malicious, insidious entity had been bottled up and stuffed into this hooded guy, and he wanted to express that in every word he spoke.

"You are a fraud," the evil voice continued, "A false leader of a real Empire. An Empire, founded by my old master's work. For sixty-eight years I've waited patiently, one with the Force, for someone to come along and realize my power. I have had to sit as an essence and watch this once great Empire be destroyed and squandered by weak, pathetic cowards unfit to even call themselves the servants of a system founded by a Sith. I have watched, and been unable to do anything."

The man lowered his hood, revealing a face to match his voice.

The man was a Zabrak, but that was all that was certain about him. He had many horns on his skull, three inches long and white as snow. His skin appeared to be blood red, with black tribal tattoos marking his entire face. His eyes were yellow, portraying him in my eyes as a demon straight from the deepest hells of the galaxy. Someone you would only see in your worst nightmares.

Leia stared at the screen, her face breaking and showing fear in her eyes for the first time in years.

Beside me, Secura whispered, "No! It can't be. He died..."

"Who is that?" I asked, frustrated nobody would elaborate.

The man on the screen reached inside his robes, and withrew a metal cylinder- a lightsaber- roughly two feet long. From one end of the weapon, a bright crimson blade flared forth.

"But no longer," the Sith said, calm as ever as if he wasn't about to do what I thought he was going to do, "I am the ruler of this Empire now."

And the Sith beheaded the Imperial Head of State in front of the entire Holonet.

The crowd of Senators cried out in shock and revulsion, unable to turn away from the head that rolled off the balcony and into the streets below.

"By the Force," Leia whispered, tears rolling down her face, "Han, it's another Sith. And...he's so powerful, so angry. He's-"

"He's Darth Maul," Secura said, his own eyes shimmering with hopelesness, "Apprentice to the Emperor before the Clone Wars. He was killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo. This is what the Reborn Masters, the Justiciars, have been doing with the Jewel of Dathomir. They got the Witches to make Maul a new body, to give him life again."

I didn't know who Darth Maul was, but if two of the greatest Jedi Masters in the Galaxy were scared enough to cry, I should have been as well.

"Son of a-"

Darth Maul yanked the hoods off the other two, revealing Admiral Natasi Daala and a man I recognized as Imperial Supreme Commander Undarr Liffenda. Maul seized Daala by the throat, raising her above his head.

"You," he spat, "You defected from your home, and attacked your brothers in your own pathetic bid for power. You have no loyalty, no honor. This would be a good thing, were you not bent on taking the Empire for yourself."

He hurled her over the balcony's edge, where she fell over a hundred feet to her death.

"And last," he said quietly, "We have the Supreme Commander of all Imperial forces. 'Victory without War'? That is a coward's play. The Empire will flourish, and be greater than it ever was."

Maul waved a hand through the air, and a red lightsaber ignited from one of the eleven hooded figures. The other Sith stepped forward, driving their blade through Liffenda's heart. The man collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

Darth Maul closed down his lightsaber, and pulled his hood back over his face. "I am the new Emperor," he said again, "There will be no more petty fighting among ourselves, there will be no more treaties with the Galactic Alliance, and the criminal scum that pollutes my Empire shall be eliminated. The Jedi and all who ally with them are now enemies of the Empire. Once again, the Sith Empire shall rule the galaxy, with my Reborn in full force."

And then Darth Maul- the Emperor- marched off the balcony and back into the building, leaving the bodies behind. His eleven Justiciars followed behind him, and the transmission cut out.

The Senate chamber exploded in a cacaphony of terrified voices.

"Han," Leia said, "What do we do? The Alliance is scattered, unorganized. Luke's gone, and we don't even have definite leaders. We don't have an organized fleet that can respond in time if the Empire attacks. We're-"

"Screwed," I finished, "I'm going to talk to Wedge, see if he can scramble a small fleet and get on the frontlines. You deal with the politics here, and Secura can go get the Jedi. We've got to do something."

"No," she snapped, "We need to get all the key people of the Alliance in once place, and do this thing on paper. Without signed documents, we're dead here."

"I estimate we have less than thirty days before the Empire has regrouped enough for a full assault on our borders," Secura said.

I waved a hand at him, "You're not helping. So what do you plan on doing, Leia?" I demanded, "We'd need to put people in command of all the major departments in less than a week, so we have time to react. We'd need at least ten of our most trusted men to take over the military, the treasury, commerce, and to control the politicians. And, we need the Jedi. It cannot be done."

I turned as Secura pulled his hood up and marched away, saying nothing.

"Where are you going?" I asked, throwing hand up.

Secura stopped, turning his head to face me. "It's _not_ impossible, Solo. I just need to speak with Master Skywalker and a few others. Just stay on Coruscant."

Before I could ask what the hell he was talking about, Secura vanished into the crowd of Senators.

_What is going on? Secura's on the run, the Alliance is shattered, and the Empire is back under the control of the Sith._

_ The Galaxy might as well have been set on fire._


	2. Piece By Piece

_Piece by Piece_

... ... ... ...

_City of Jendar, Balmorra, Core Worlds._

_47 ABY_

_Kadren "Nightmare" Vex_

I halted my dead sprint at the top of a hundred story tower, dropping to a knee and placing a sticky mine against the conical roof of the tower, switching it active.

The wind was fierce this high above the packed streets of Balmorra's central shipping and merchant hub, Jendar. Even through my armor (grey scout-trooper armor with darker grey tiger stripes) I could feel the bite of Balmorra's fall season. But I didn't have time to care about the cold, I had a job to do. Standing a few yards in front of me, warming his hands by rubbing them together, was a mercenary hired by the target. It was his duty to prevent people like me, and my mentor, from doing exactly what it was that we were about to do with absurd ease. But I understood, it was very cold out. And who would really want to take the time to kill off a scientist anyways?

Someone who was being paid thirty large to do it.

Story was, or so the Blue Fox had said, was that this scientist was messing around in cloning and got busted, and now one of the big wigs in Binring Biomedical wanted him dead. But we didn't really care why so long as the money was good. We'd spent almost ten days tracking him across the Core, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

And now was it.

The scientist would be emerging from a bar downtown any minute, and I was going to be there to end his life with lethal precision. The boss- Fox- was on the ground, silently picking off bodyguards casually placed among the crowded streets disguised as common citizens. He'd set it upon me to make the actual kill, sort of my final test to complete my training.

For the past twelve years, almost thirteen, I had trained without missing a day (excluding when the boss went on missions) under the Blue Fox, learning the secrets of the last remaining Imperial Praetorian, the most elite lack ops unit the Empire ever created. Fox trained for twenty years, I trained for just over half that, and he still said I was ready to wear the title of Praetorian. He put me through the most rigorous phyisical excersises one could fathom, giving me the indestructible body I had now. The mental destruction, fortification, and enhancement I underwent was enough to completely shatter a man, break him to nothing and rebuild him as a calculating, unwavering killing machine. I could fly any ship, at any time, and better than ninety-nine percent of the galaxy. I could also rewire and reprogram it. I knew explosives like the back of my hand, and could make weapons of mass destruction by merely mixing household products. Terminals were like child's play now, just a minor annoyance to hack into mainframes that would stump a veteran slicer. On the battlefield I was ruthless, having trained for weeks at a time with minimal rest analyzing and engaging Fox's synth-droids in live combat. More often than not, I was the victor standing with my blaster raised high, a sea of bodies smoking around me. He'd pitted me against martial arts droids ranging from just one to seven at once, and after all this time I'd finally begun to prevail. I'd studied the history of the Galaxy, mathematics, and science on the level of some college professor. Fox always said I had to be educated to be lethal. And my last lessons, the ones occupying the past six months, had been over the workings and full understandings of the criminal underground. And above all else, above all of my skills, my recon abilities were top notch. I was without a doubt the finest marksman in the Galaxy, even Fox admitted it. My survival, escape, and evasion skills were on the very same level as the Praetorian himself, sometimes he even said I surpassed him. I supposed it was just genetics, my father being the most famous sniper of all time, serving as a scout trooper for twenty years. But, despite all my abilities, my only experience existed in simulators and controlled environments. I'd never even been on a mission with Fox.

Until now, until today.

Fox said that if I pulled off this shot, killed the target, and made it back to the _DarkRider_ safely and undetected, he would give me the title of Praetorian. Along with the honorary aspect, he had re-engineered the very same epidermal patch that went under his skin to prevent him from showing up on media, and was offering it to me.

It would be the seal of my accomplishments.

All I had to do was take out this mercenary, set up the shot on the scientist, and then make it back to the ship without being detected.

_Piece of cake._

I crept towards the mercenary at a tactical crouch, one hand slowly drawing my vibroblade from its place on my boot, the other holding the stock of my rifle from bouncing against the balcony and alerting the man to my presence. He had both hands cupped, breathing on them for warmth.

"Blasted cold," he mumbled, "More of a danger than anything on this rock."

I moved closer, only a dozen feet away.

"I'm at the top of a bloody radio tower," he continued, "Who in the blazes is going to waste their time coming up here anyways?"

I was two feet away now.

Execute.

"I am," I said, dropping my voice to the same dark, ominous, gravelly tone that Fox always used.

The man whirled around, hand flinging to the blaster at his hip. But it was pointless, I was ten times faster than he would ever hope to be. I slapped his hands away from the pistol, and slammed my head into his with as much force as I could muster. I was wearing a scout trooper helmet, he was not. The result was a spray of crimson that obscured my visor and dropped the mercenary to a knee. He swore violently, clutching his face with one hand and swinging the other blindly at my legs to ward me off. I seized a handful of his matted brown hair, wrenching his face up and exposing his throat. The man again reached for his weapon, his hand slapping his side as blood poured down his face from his broken nose. I fired a straight right hand that connected soundly with teeth, caving them inwards and snapping his head back. I wrapped both hands around the back of his head, and brought my knee up into his forehead with everything I could muster.

The mercenary dropped unconscious to the ground following the impact, his breathing labored but stable.

I tried to shake the adrenaline from my limbs as I slung the rifle off my back and placed it on the railing, tilting the barrel down to where the scientist would be emerging from the bar at any second. I flicked the safety off, and switched the scope to thermal vision.

The Tenloss T-7 Disruptor rifle was a brand new, highly illegal weapon that was banned and shut down within a month of its release. Only a few thousand made it out into the galaxy, and Fox had been lucky enough to get one. Like its predecessor, it fired an ion bolt that would quite literally disintegrate the target into a pile of ashes on the spot. Perfect for assassinations because it didn't leave any chance for the target surviving the shot and escaping.

I pressed my eye to the scope, scanning the bar's exit for the scientist.

The street was packed with speeders and innocent bystanders on foot, each oblivious to the fact that at any moment my hand could slip and someone could be reduced to soot in no time flat. I saw humans and aliens of all species wandering about, partying and stumbling around drunk in the middle of the night, laughing and enjoying the simple things. But I had no desire for the simple life, not yet. I loved my training, and I loved every second of this mission. The fight or flight, kill or be killed mentality I had to have gave me a perfect adrenaline rush.

And it was about to get bigger.

The scientist, a Wookie with a slender build and brown-grey fur emerged from the bar, slipping nonchalantly into the crowd.

But he was moving way too fast, his head low and his steps light.

_Damn,_ I thought, _he's been tipped off. Or maybe Fox slipped and alerted him._

I chased him with my crosshairs, following along just fine but unable to risk taking the shot.

_If I miss, I'll kill someone who had nothing to do with this._

The Wookie got in the back of a taxi speeder with an open cockpit, and began speaking rapidly to the driver. The driver, a droid, nodded and then reached for the Wookie's identification. The Wookie threw his arms in the air, roaring defiantly. Clearly he didn't have time for such actions.

But I had all the time I needed.

With the Wookie now halted in one spot, the eight hundred yard shot was like taking candy from a baby. I squeezed the trigger, and the rifle kicked hard against my shoulder. A short, blinding yellow bolt erupted forth and crossed the distance in under a quarter second, striking the target in the back of the head. Instantly, the Wookie's body began to burn from the head down, the heat so intense there wasn't even time for combustion. In under a second, the once tall, strong alien was now a pile of ashes on the backseat of the taxi. The droid remained in place, incapable of the panic that now dominated the street, and patiently awaited its payment.

"Time to go," I said to myself, slinging my rifle over my back and rising to my feet.

I darted over to the railing on the other side of the circular tower, around the conical spire, and placed a foot up on the railing. Taking the streets back to the ship, which was cloaked on the outskirts of town in a forest patch, was a suicidal move. No, I'd dart across the rooftops until I made it to the edge of the city, and then use the terrain to cover my tracks back to the ship. Once I was within range of the ship, I'd detonate the mine on the tower to cover any evidence I might have left behind.

I just hoped Fox was there when I got there, or I'd have to leave him here. I certainly didn't want to be here when the stormtroopers moved in.

... ... ...

... ... ...

_Aboard the DarkRider, Outskirts of Jendar, Balmorra._

I closed the ramp behind me, breathing heavily as I rounded the corner into the main hold, our briefing room.

_The boss should already be here somewhere._

I peeled my helmet and tossed it up on the table, and began stripping my weapons. I pulled off my rifle and laid it out for cleaning, my knife, my fully automatic machine pistol, and my gift from Fox: a heavy blaster revolver. "Hey Fox," I called, "You here? I'll have you know I nearly broke my neck jumping across the rooftops like a frog."

No response.

_He's fine,_ I assured myself, _this guy took out Boba Fett, he'll be okay._

Next, I reached for my armor clips when I heard a voice behind me cut the silence like a knife.

"Do not be alarmed," the intruding voice said, "I do not come here to harm you."

But I was alarmed, very alarmed. Before he'd even said "be" I already had my revolver in hand, ready to tear this guy a new one.

But the blaster was torn from my hand, and I was thrown through the air and slammed against the wall. I was pinned by an invisible hand, my arms and legs at my sides. I cursed venomously into the darkness of the ship. "Show yourself," I barked, "Blasted coward!"

The lights in the ship turned on, causing me to squint after being accustomed to the night. After I recovered, I took a look around.

Fox was pinned likewise against the wall right beside me, glaring at me with a look of, "Oh, you didn't see this coming?" and I knew he wasn't impressed with me just barging into a dark ship and shouting about.

Standing in front of us, leaning on the tactical holotable, was unmistakably a Jedi Knight. Garbed in grey, tight fitting robes, this Jedi was easily identified. He had a hood pulled low over his face, and handwraps over his fingerless gloves that wove up to his elbow, like you'd see on fighters. His boots were knee-high and hard bantha skin, designed for long term running and rough wear. At his belt, hung two lightsabers of shining and polished chrome. Over the lower half of his face, he had a thin cloth

Jedi Master Talos Secura.

Secura had one hand raised, holding us against the wall, and the other on his belt. His eyes were all that were visible, serious and lit with cold fury.

"Fox," he said casually, his tone betraying his face.

"Secura," Fox replied in an equal demeanor, "Could have called first. Nobody ever calls ahead."

Secura shrugged. "You going to attack me if I set you down?"

"Probably."

Secura nodded. "Fair enough. Listen, I have a contract for you. Before I begin, you need to know that if you accept this, there's a chance my influence will not be enough to save you from the Alliance hunting you for the rest of your life. The payout, however, would be two hundred thousand."

I felt my jaw drop fractionally before I caught it, and I shot a look at the boss. Surely he wouldn't turn down that pile of credits.

"Two hundred?" he asked, his face as stone.

"No," Secura said, waving a hand, "Three hundred thousand. Each. I'll pay you personally."

Fox didn't even hesitate. "You're safe, let us down."

He did as Fox said, slowly lowering us both to the ground.

Fox nodded to Secura, who lowered his hood and placed a datacard into the holotable.

"So, what're we doing?" Fox asked, his voice even.

The Jedi sighed, remaining silent for a moment before he took a deep breath, saying, "Fourteen and a half years ago as of yesterday, Queen Mandai Kellani of the Naboo took you deep into the Aurora Nebula and showed you her three Star Destroyer prototypes."

I frowned, confused.

_Boss never told that to me._

Beside me, Fox stiffened. "You're drunk, Secura."

"No," he replied, "She mentioned that one other knew of the existence of the fleet. Who do you think hid this from the Jedi? Now, quit with the games and let's talk. I left a datapad on the President's desk outlining a series of movements that need to be made by the end of the week to ensure we can rebuild. After a very, very tense discussion, the president has agreed to my terms. The Alliance is about to be back on its feet, but we need a protector. A guardian against hit-and-fade tactics. We need the Rapid Response Task Force to be rebuilt, but we lack the proper ships. These ships have crews, droids that can pilot them to Coruscant and drop them there. We will do this, though the danger comes in the fact that after we leave the Queen's message explaining her secrecy and her support to give the ships to the Alliance, she will be chased off Coruscant and driven into exile. Safe delivery of the ships, the evacuation of the Queen and her Guard, and our hands not being detected all the while will earn you three hundred thousand each."

Fox held up a hand, shaking his head. "The Queen didn't want the Alliance to have these ships because she feared they would use the weapons of mass destruction each ship contains. Even against the Empire, this isn't necessary."

I, having never heard any talk of these three ships, felt my surprise and awe increase.

Secura, on the other hand, shook his head as well. "Not with the changes Dorvan is making right now. Effective as early as tomorrow, Han Solo will be taking over as Supreme Commander of the Alliance's military. And Wedge Antilles is Fleet Commander. There is no way in hell that these bombs will be dropped."

Fox crossed his arms, raising one black eyebrow. "You made this happen?"

Secura nodded. "Corruption is about to come to an end in the Alliance. The Jedi are being reinstated, our military is in the best of hands, and our Treasury is under the control of a financial genius. The Senate is terrified, ready to follow whoever's going to put up the wall between them and the Empire. Wynn Dorvan is going to do that, with the Jedi and these ships as his sword and shield. It's perfect, Fox. I'm spending every credit, calling in every favor, and racking up debt to make this happen. Everything is in motion as soon as the President approves of the appointments, and we have to act when we can. Once the Empire sees these ships, they'll try to hit us fast and hard. We need to be there to do our part. So, are you in?"

I remained silent.

If Fox wanted to help out the Alliance, I was okay with it. I didn't care who we worked for, so long as we didn't get slaughter jobs and we got paid well enough.

"Tell me more about the Alliance's stability," Fox said, "The Queen would never have allowed the ships to be given to an unstable government."

Secura nodded, "Where would you like me to start?"

"Treasury and commerce."

"Lando Calrissian," Secura explained with a wry smile, "Is now temporarily in charge of our fincances. With his past exploits, the President seemed to see reason in him being able to pull us out of poverty in a rapid fashion. I personally listened to some of the ideas Lando had, and they're excellent. I'm confident he will do just fine."

Fox didn't show any indication he approved or disapproved of the decision. "And the Jedi?"

"We've relocated to a world in the Core," Secura said evasively, "Master Luke is gearing us all up for war as we speak. We will defend the Alliance against the Sith and their army of Reborn."

"And how do you think this is going to make a difference? Three men and some Jedi are going to change the entire Alliance?"

Secura nodded. "We need new starfighters, so last year we drafted plans for a new type of X-Wing. All we lacked was time and funding. With Calrissian, we have that. Our troop carriers were notorious for being shot down by fighters, so we refurbished the design on Clone Wars LAATs. Calrissian will find funding for that. The Alliance has been importing goods from the independent systems when we have enough resources within our borders to fund us indefinitely, yet nobody seemed to take the time to find a way to market it. Calrissian will handle that. As for the military, we now have that on-your-feet mentality being employed by our Supreme Commander for all our ground forces, while Antilles will guide our Fleet with his invaluable knowledge of space and naval combat. The Jedi will serve alongside the military as leaders, just like in the Clone Wars and for a millenia before. We will also hunt the Reborn like animals, and bring them to justice. We can be back on our feet and face the Empire head on in less than a Standard month."

I allowed my face to show a smirk, impressed by the reaction speed and intelligence Secura had displayed.

Fox seemed to agree with me. "You've given the President everything he needs to be the greatest leader the Empire has ever faced. Yet, something tells me that even if we deliver the ships to him he's going to crumple in the face of Darth Maul. Have you seen him, Secura? I've been in the darkest hells of this galaxy, you went with me for one, and even _I'm_ afraid of him."

Secura ran a hand through his short brown hair. "Yeah, I know. I don't like the idea of facing him either, but it's my job as a Jedi. So, Blue Fox and Nightmare, will you two go with me to the Aurora Nebula and retrieve these ships? With one of us on each calling the shots to the droid crews, we can park them over Coruscant, get planetside, get the Queen, and get offworld before anyone is the wiser."

Fox looked at me, raising an eyebrow again. "What do you think, kid?"

I shrugged. "We could change the galaxy in one job, get some blaster action in, rescue a Queen, and make three hundred each," I grabbed my scout trooper helmet off the floor, brushing off the dust and slamming it on my head.

"I'm in if you are, boss."


	3. Risky Business

_Risky Business_

_... ... ..._

_Aurora Nebula, Far Outside the Outer Rim._

_47 ABY_

_Kadren "Nightmare" Vex_

The three Star Destroyers were incredible.

Each larger than a standard Star Cruiser by half, and uniquely shaped. The sterns were like a capital W, and the bow lanced out like an arrowhead. Each had a significant colored stripe along the stern prongs. Red for the _Firestorm_, yellow for the _Shockwave_, and blue for the _Blizzard._ Fox told me that each had a unique weapon of mass destruction that could be fired from a specialized launcher. Each ship was elegant, sleek, and refined to the standard of the Naboo.

"Boss," I whispered, gazing in awe through the cockpit window of the _DarkRider_, "These are incredible."

"Yeah," Fox mumbled, "And they're as deadly as they are impressive."

From behind us, Jedi Master Talos Secura entered the cockpit, hood up and face hidden. "There they are," he whispered, "Now let's go get them. Remember the plan once we've made the jump for Coruscant."

"Right," Fox said, steering us towards the trio, "Let the games begin."

... ... ...

... ... ...

_Aboard the Firestorm, Space above Coruscant._

I paced the command bridge restlessly, my legs shaking and my mind racing.

We'd just pulled the three most deadly and dangerous Star Destroyers out of hyperspace into the orbit of the galaxy's most important planet, then let them hang in limbo without saying a word.

Long story short, I was nervous.

I tapped my earpiece, keying into the three way comm between Fox and Secura and I. "Guys," I said impatiently, "We've been floating up here for two minutes without a single hailing call. What's the plan?"

"The plan," Fox replied, "Is for you to relax. Nobody's hailed us because we sent a transmission down to the planet offering these up for free. Now, get to hangar A-Twenty for pickup, you're about to send the Queen's message."

_Coruscant is about to go ballistic._

"Yeah," I replied, making for the lift, "Let's all just hurry up and get this done and over with."

... ... ...

"I sent her message," I said, stuffing my foot into the black combat boot, "The entire Senate building is about to watch it. We'd better move."

Fox pulled his own uniform, a Coruscant police officer's uniform, over his head. "Remember, Secura and I land outside the Senate building, arrest the Queen, and then take her to the prison. Halfway there, we'll stop, switch speeders, and take her to the _DarkRider._ We plant charges on the police speeder, and blow it. It'll look like someone tried to take out the Queen, no big deal. By the time the Alliance, unhelped by the Jedi, find the wreckage, we'll be long gone. Simple, piece of cake. Meanwhile, you are playing sniper from atop the Senate building. You'll jump from the ship and land on the roof. You'll be able to see us all the way until we switch speeders. At that point, you make your way to the LZ for extraction. Clear?"

"Clear," I replied, having heard this plan three times.

Fox tossed a datapad onto the table in the lounge, tucking one of his heavy revolvers into his hip holster. "Opposition is looking like it'll be mostly just police, but there's the Alliance's Security Forces that are guarding the Senate building itself. The troops have the brand new Alliance ACE rifles, and they're dead on. The armor consists of combat speeders capable of air travel and faster than your average car."

"How do you plan on evading them if they are on us?" I asked, tugging my plasteel chestpiece on over the body glove. "If they're in standard XJ-4s then we'd be hard pressed to outrun them."

Fox offered a wry smile. Behind him, Secura struggled into his police uniform, listening intently to our conversation. "I've got an edge," Fox said, "I had the _Kivas_ shipped here, courtesy of Enos Shipping Incorporated. It arrived yesterday."

I let out a low whistle, shaking my head with a grin.

The _Kivas_ was a custom built airspeeder, designed to be the fastest airspeeder in the galaxy. Originally made for racing and sold to the Senator of Cren'ut'an himself. Fox had somehow aquired it for just a million credits, despite it being worth easily three times that. I'd only ridden passenger in it a few times, and each time the g-force compensators barely managed to keep me in my seat as Fox flew recklessly over the city of Theed. It'd be perfect for dodging police.

"Nice," I said, grabbing a SonicMaster L5 sniper blaster (popular among the independent systems and criminal underground) and slapped in a fresh blaster pack. "Did you put the flash suppressor in this?"

Fox nodded. "And I fitted the scope with thermal and signature recognition. You should have no excuse for accidentally shooting one of us."

I shrugged sarcastically, "I don't need a blaster to take you out, old man."

Fox snorted, then threw my helmet at me. I caught it hard in my chest, grinning like a kid. "You'd rather grab a rancor by the short and curlies than step into a scrap with me, kiddo. Come on, we should be getting close to the drop point."

I nodded, chuckling to myself.

I accepted the jump pack, a short term jetpack that allowed me to slow myself to a soft landing, from the Jedi Master. "The roof has guards patrolling it," Secura said, "Mostly droids with thermal sensors. You'll have to take them out silently. The biggest window you're going to get here is going to be about four minutes to escape once we get the Queen out of sight. Dodge the police, and don't kill anybody."

I nodded again, strapping the jetpack on. "I've got my rifle loaded with stun rounds, right?"

"Yeah," Fox said, "But your pistols are legit. Try not to gun anybody down, it'll only make our escape a lot harder, and garuntee a bounty being placed on the Queen."

Secura tucked his lightsabers underneath the blue-black overcoat, and pulled the officer's helmet on over his head. "Go stand by the boarding ramp, we will be over the Imperial Sector in a few minutes."

I nodded, and threw the rifle over my back.

... ... ...

"Nightmare," Secura said over the comlink in my helmet, "We're lowering the boarding ramp now. We'll drop the static charge, then you make the jump. The security teams will be completely unaware of the droids disappearing on the roof, but the human snipers you'll have to deal with your own way. No death, completely silent."

I tapped the side of my helmet in response, and readied myself.

Slowly, the ramp began to lower.

Wind whipped and roared into the cabin, and I was thankful I had a helmet to keep my eyes from being sucked out of my skull. Below, I could see the glimmering lights of Coruscant's surface, see the tall spires of the Imperial Palace. Endless rows of ground level streets, airborne traffic lanes, and power conduit access roads divided the planet's surface like a limitless labyrinth of steel and duracrete. Nowhere else in the galaxy was there such a sight, such a place of industrialization and civility. This, the Imperial Sector in particular, was the pinnacle of civilization. The center of the galaxy's largest governmental body was to be found here.

_And I'm about to land on the most important building in the Alliance, to assist in the liberation of a wanted war criminal._

"You're above," Fox said into my helmet, "Jump, kid. Before the Jedi below sense through our cloaks."

I took a deep breath, peering over the edge of the ramp.

It was easily a thousand feet to the massive domed roof of the Senate building.

_If I'm going to run the perimiter and take out the snipers, I have to be fast._

"Making the jump now," I said, tapping the jetpack on, "Wish me luck."

... ... ...

I sprinted up the angled surface of the durasteel roof, forcing my plasteel boots to remain silent as I closed in my final target. Two Kel Dor males were patrolling the eastern section, walking in a loop pattern. In a few more yards, they'd round the building enough to see the other team out cold, bleeding on the slanted roof. They'd see the half dozen combat droids stunned and inactive instead of scanning the area for intruders. And if they went far enough, they'd see a discarded jump-pack laying a few dozen feet from the wreckage of the first team.

But I had no intentions of allowing any of that.

The two walked in a single file, one carrying an E-11s rifle, the other a brand new Alliance ACE assault blaster. Both were garbed in the traditional blue plasteel armor of the Senate Guard, helmetless and intimidating.

Well, not to me at least.

I darted to the rear guard, the sniper, and stomped the back of his knee. He buckled, howling in pain and throwing his arms out in front of him and hurling the blaster rifle into the back of his spotter. The guard in front staggered as the weapon hit him, and whirled around to face me just in time for me to slap his blaster out of my face. I gripped the barrel, driving it skyward to avoid losing my face with one shot, and headbutted the guard full force in the nose. I felt the bone and cartilage give beneath my scout trooper helmet, and was thankful I had a visor to keep the spray that followed from blinding me entirely. The spotter reared his head back, swinging wildly in a desperate attempt to take my head off. I caught one punch, wrapping my hand around his bicep and halting the attack mid swing. I fired a straight palm strike, landing soundly on the spotter's throat. He choked, gasping for air. I whirled around, planting a leg behind his and hip tossing him onto the sniper, who was scrambling to his feet. Both piled up in a tangled heap, sliding down the roof.

_No death._

I snatched my APEX blaster, a fully automatic blaster pistol, from its place at my hip, and set it for stun. Two tugs of the trigger reduced the pair of Senate Guards to an unconscious mess of blood and agony. I waited for a moment, making sure the two didn't slide down off the roof and fall three hundred feet to their deaths, then tapped two fingers to the side of my helmet.

"Roof is clear, make the evac."

There was a slight hesitation in Fox's response, then, "Uh, yeah," I could tell he was panting, and his breath was labored, "We've sort of had a change of plans, kid."

I swore under my breath, snatching the spotter's ACE rifle off the roof and checking the power pack, ensuring it was full. I flicked the safety off, and replied, "What do you mean, a change of plans? We had a solid thing going here."

When Fox responded, his voice was tense, and I could hear blaster fire in the background. "Dammit, kid," he barked, "It didn't go as planned. We're almost to the first speeder, just get to the _Kivas_, we need to make our escape. Forget cover fire," he paused his instruction, and I heard an increase the rumble of a speeder's engines, "Just get to the speeder. We're going to take it to where Dex put the _DarkRider_."

I shook my head, stamping a foot on the roof. Dexter had been told to land the stealth freighter out in the Power and Water District, in the flat expanse of factories and air filtration stations over five miles from the Senate Building. That offered a mile long expanse of open space once we cleared the Imperial Sector, a perfect no man's land where we'd be vaped into smithereens by the X-Wings that guarded this area of the planet.

_Great,_ I thought, _Fox screws up and now I get to hoof it on foot across a mile of city, dressed like a renegade Imperial._

I gripped the ACE rifle tighter, taking a deep breath.

_Should be fun._

... ... ...

... ... ...

_Galactic Federation of Free Alliances Senate Building, Chief of State office._

_Han Solo._

Chief of State Wynn Dorvan, a handsome, intelligent man of fifty-one sat behind an ornate polished metal desk, his face in his hands.

"Solo," he said in a hollow voice, "Why are there three Star Destroyers floating over this planet, and not attacking?"

I shook my head, knowing I was about to get a serious reprimand. "I don't know," I answered as casually as I could, "But if you believe the Naboo Queen's message, then they also have some pretty nasty firepower on board."

Dorvan snorted, "General, she also says we can just _have_ them, for free. I'm not taking any chances," he picked his head up, overlapping his hands one over the other on his desk, "Shoot them out of orbit, General."

I hesitated, then held up a hand. "Sir, the Queen has always been unfailingly loyal. Frankly, I believe her when she says they're for us to take on the Empire, even if she did commit treason in its highest to build them behind our backs. I think we should send a team aboard each, and if they're what she says they are then we use them."

Dorvan shot me a raised eyebrow, "And lure our Marines into a trap? I think not. I think we've got three weapons of mass destruction floating above the capitol of the Alliance, waiting to go off. Destroy them."

Again, I held up a hand.

Wynn Dorvan was rather boring during his political speeches, known for being honest and trustworthy. He was a genius in the arts of speechcraft, and intellectual wars. But the trickery of the Empire and scenarios like this, where someone was taking a large gamble at apparent random, had always been out of his grasp.

"I can have a volunteer crew ready in half an hour," I said confidently as I could, "I would really like to send someone aboard to check it out."

Dorvan paused for a moment, then sighed. "And if they're anything but what the Queen says? Then what, General? Then we've got a hundred dead Marines and your fledgling career as Supreme Commander is over on a gamble you've got, based on the trust you have for a Queen you've never met. I wouldn't say that's the best course of action."

"Not a hundred Marines," I pressed, confident in my plan, "Just Rogue Squadron and a Jedi."

Dorvan's eyebrow raised even higher, threatening to vanish into his well groomed haircut. "You're now telling me that you're willing to risk the lives of the Alliance's twelve most talented pilots, and a Jedi to boot?" His tone was one of a mentor testing a student, yet also slightly condescending as if he was irritated I continued to push.

I grimaced as I heard the tone, knowing I was nearing my last shot at convincing him. "Jedi Master Rosh Penin is here on Coruscant, and I can scramble Rogue Squadron at any time. If Penin suspects any danger, he'll call off the inspection. They can take a team of sweeper droids as well, if you'd like. This is a serious chance to take back our offensive against the Empire and halt their expansion. And besides, Secura's been pushing so hard for the reformation of the Rapid Response Task Force, hasn't he? Now, we'll have the ships to effectively spearhead our borders," I leaned eagerly across the desk, "Wynn, this is the break we've been looking for. The Queen sacrificed herself by confessing, and just gave us the edge we needed at the expense of her name, her career, and her royalty. The least we can do is take a look."

Silence fell over the office room, broken only by buzzing of Dorvan's holocomm on his desk, which he ignored. He sat there, staring at me like a statue, unmoving and his gave unwavering. I knew he was waiting for me to just give in and call off my plan, but I wasn't about to be intimidated into doing anything. Dorvan and I had been through a lot, him having helped me save Leia from being unlawfully arrested by the Sith. Later on, Dorvan was tortured by the dark entity Abeloth, and ever since he'd lost some of his charm in place of this cold, unrelenting demeanor he was now offering me. Yet, at the same time, Dorvan was not a dumb man by any stretch of the imagination. Surely he could see the intelligence in taking a prize when it was so willingly left on our doorstep.

His gaze broke, and he ran a hand over his face with a sigh, and I knew I'd won. "Damn, Solo," he growled, "Where is the Queen now?"

"Being taken to the prison here on Coruscant as we speak, awaiting her trial," I answered quickly, pleased to see I'd made a strong enough case.

Dorvan nodded. "Go, General," he looked at his desk dismissively, "And I hope you're right."

I shook his hand, and made for the door, barely hiding my grin.

_So do I._

... ... ...

_Tonak "Blue Fox" Enos._

I slammed the foot pedals down to the floor, jerking the Kivas to a halt.

The butterfly doors folded upwards, and Kadren dove in headfirst, landing roughly on the Queen's lap in the back seat.

"Go! Go! Go!" he roared, firing a stun bolt out the open door.

I hissed in frustration, yanking the door down as I watched two police droids fold up in a heap, their circuits shorted.

"Oh, real smooth," Kadren barked, righting himself alongside the Queen in the narrow seat, "Let's just drop Nightmare on the roof and have him dropkick a few snipers, maybe take out a few droids, then tell him to sprint across a mile of the Alliance capitol, with the entire sector on HIGH! BLASTED! ALERT!"

I waved a hand at him, trying to shut him up while Secura pointed me in the right direction in the crowded ground level street.

"Shut up," I spat, "Things go wrong."

Kadren flailed his arms out, almost slapping the Queen, "_What_ the hell happened?"

I sighed, wishing I could lie and not have to admit the truth.

"We pulled up, like planned, and took the Queen into custody. We put her in the speeder, and drove off. Except the Alliance insisted on assigning some Padawan to watch over us to make sure she wasn't busted out, along with about fifty soldiers. Sort of-"

"-turn here," Secura interjected.

"-put a damper on things. So, we drove the police speeder off onto the ground levels, and now we're fleeing while they search for the last vehicle."

Kadren swore viciously, "So you're now telling me that they saw a big Chiss spring the Queen free? They'll target the Blue Fox instantly, seeing how that's how you're known."

"No," I said coolly, "Secura had a sort of Force bubble in a hundred feet in all directions. I appeared to everyone's mind as a Rodian, and he a Twi'Lek. All we have to do, is make it to the outskirts without being tailed."

Kadren threw his hands up, "Without being tailed? Boss, they'll lock down this entire area until they find who they're looking for."

I rolled my eyes, frustrated he couldn't see where I was going with this. Beside me, Secura intervened. "Yes, we know. But they're looking for police officers, not civilians. We're going to simply drive casual to the outskirts, and then beat it to the _DarkRider._ Without drawing attention to ourselves. With me averting as many minds as I can, and Fox driving like nothing's going on, we should be just fine."

Still, Kadren seemed to disagree. "Yeah," he argued, "Until we're the only non-maintenance vehicle in the Power and Water District. We're going to have to ditch your fancy speeder and get on a shuttle."

_Damn, _I thought grimly, _he's got a point. I'll have to ditch the _Kivas_, send someone to get it later. But there was still a problem with that plan._

"Even if we take a shuttle," I said, steering around some road construction droids, "We'll still have to deal with the reporting of the shuttle being stolen. The Alliance doesn't slack on security around their resources."

Kadren paused, yanking his helmet off and beginning to unfasten his armor.

I instantly knew what he was doing. "No," I objected, glaring at him, "Not a chance."

He waved a hand at me, "Come on, boss. I can lose them no problem in a place like Coruscant, be offworld in a day. Then I'll meet up with you back on Naboo, we'll go on something relaxing like a smuggling run or something. It's the best way to have the police's attention focused on something other than the utilities shuttles. I'll put them on the best wild bantha chase they've ever had."

His face was bright now, eager and excited. I knew he wanted to prove his worth, something he certainly didn't have to do to me. I knew that he was the new face of the mercenary world, a worthy replacement as the apex predator in the galaxy. But ever since I told him of his lineage, and my agreement with the Queen, he'd leapt at every opportunity to impress me, to gain my approval regardless of how much praise I offered him. Sometimes I wondered if he'd one day push himself too hard for my satisfaction, and wind up getting himself killed.

"Fine," I hissed, hating every second of it, "But don't go to Naboo straightaway, in case you're followed. Go to our operation on Fondor to lose any tail. Varis will have a payment to bring back to me anyways, you can ride with him. Remember to act as a professional, Enos Shipping is a legit business."

Kadren nodded once, yanking off his boots and stuffing them on the floorboards. "Is my spare gear still in here?"

I pointed at a folding compartment in the center of the backseat. Kadren yanked the plastic flap down, and pulled out his clothing. I continued to follow Secura's instructions, weaving in and out of traffic at a hurried, yet not noticeable, rate of speed. I shot a glance at the holodisplay on my dashboard, just waiting to see a notice from a police speeder telling me to pull over, or that I was under arrest, but none came as the city slipped past little by little. In the back seat, Kadren had pulled on his smuggler's attire. He had a tight fitting black flight jacket made of expensive leather, a pair of nice black denim pants, and nice boots. On his hands he had thin black gloves, and he tugged on a concealed carry holster underneath. On the outside, he looked like a rich kid, when in reality he was just a snappy dresser with the most lethal set of skills in the galaxy.

"You good?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He also raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong with looking good while I work?

"It's about efficiency, not showboating."

Kadren laughed. "Lucky for me I can do both."

I shook my head, "Just remember to play your part when you get to Fondor. My employees have no idea that old Tonak Enos is also the Blue Fox, and I'd prefer to keep it that way."

Kadren clapped a hand on my shoulder, "So, no posting pictures of us in our battle gear all over the place?"

I glared at him, slowing to a stop at an intersection.

"Kidding," he said, shoving the driver's door open, "See you later."

... ... ...

_Imperial Sector, Security Forces Headquarters_

_Han Solo_

"Scramble Rogue Squadron, get them up to those ships," I barked, running a hand through my graying hair, "I want a full team of volunteers on a transport headed for orbit in ten minutes."

"But General," the comm officer replied, his tentacled hands sliming up the terminal, "What about the Naboo Queen?"

I shrugged, "What about her? Your men have her in irons by now, right?"

The alien shook its pinkish head, lidless eyes unmoving in the wan light of the comm room. "I'm afraid not sir. Our last report indicates that the officers that apprehended her sped off into the lower levels, and their crashed speeder was found beside a cantina. There are no bodies, and a sector wide search is underway."

_Queen drops off some ships and then sets up her own escape? Sounds like risky business._

"Focus on getting a readout of those ships. I'm more worried about three potential superweapons floating over Coruscant than I am about your runaway Queen."

"Yes, General," the terminal worker replied sourly, clearly displeased, "I'm patching your request through to Rogue Squadron. That is the most I can do from here."

I nodded, "Good, let's figure out what her Highness has in store."

... ... ...

_Kadren "Nightmare" Vex_

I darted to the right, away from the main street and pounding down an alleyway between two buildings.

I could hear the thunder of boots on duracrete behind me, a dozen police officers far closer than I was comfortable with. Each carried a standard DSK-7 heavy blaster pistol. The DSK was a great combat sidearm, complete with a rather nasty stun mode that often left the victim with a week of muscle spasms and skipped heartbeats. Lucky for me, the police had taken the bait and pegged me as the man who had sprung the Queen free, and didn't seem to care much about stunning me at all. Was I to be shot, the death would be quick and painless.

But they'd have to catch me first.

Without my armored boots, scaling the side of a building or leaping off a balcony would no doubt shatter the heels of my feet, regardless of whether or not I rolled upon landing. And without my helmet or armor, I couldn't risk continuing a foot chase through Coruscant's endless labyrinth and take the chance of getting clipped by blaster fire. My only assets were my skills, hardened and imprinted in my mind by years of relentless instruction by the last remaining Praetorian. I'd need every bit of my escape and evasion, hand to hand, and negotiation skills to survive long enough to make it to the shipyards in Sector Nine and get offworld. The plan was simple: Down two levels to the ground, across a quarter mile, through Port Security, and then to the port's cantina to bribe passage to Fondor. All I had to do was shake these police, and quickly before they called for backup. I needed to either lose them, which was difficult in a widely monitored place like Coruscant, or dispatch all twelve singlehandedly. As good as I was, twelve on one was not a good bet.

_Perhaps I could stun a few,_ I thought, shoving through a Rodian couple and sprinting down the sidewalk at full tilt, eyes scanning for an exit, _wait around a corner and stun four or five before they can recover, then put them to the chase again._

Up ahead, I saw the sidewalk come to an abrupt halt, a balcony cordoning off the area.

_Damn! Scratch that plan._

I slowed my charge, jogging to a stop at the edge of the balcony. I took a moment to catch my breath, peering over the edge in the hopes that the fall wouldn't be too bad.

No luck. The drop was easily a hundred feet.

Behind me, I heard a shout ring out over the din of innocent bystanders. "Stop!," a man yelled, the dozen authorities plowing through the crowd towards me, blasters drawn and breathing labored, "Stop that man!"

I looked desperately over the edge again, knowing I couldn't open fire in the crowds, stun or not. Nor could I take on twelve Coruscant Police with my bare hands. Even Fox would look for an alternative before stepping into a slugging match with a dozen trained police officers. I scanned the ground far below, searching frantically for an out.

And then I saw what, to me, came as a ray of sunshine.

A transit shuttle was hovering about thirty feet below, slowly moving towards the balcony. Transit speeders normally had to fly between the ground level and first airspeeder lanes due to their bulk, and the fact that their repulsorlifts often could not hold them up that high. This technical error was about to be my saving grace.

"You!" the lead officer spat, gasping between ragged breaths, "Hands up and get down on your knees. Do it now!"

His blaster accompanied the others, all trained on me.

_Jump or fight,_ I thought, _time to make a decision._

I held my hands up, stalling as long as I could.

_If I jump and miss I'm a dead man, if I try to shoot it out I'm not much better._

The officers closed in slowly, blasters not moving.

_To hell with it_.

I whirled around, placing both feet up on the railing and looking over. Behind me, citizens and officers alike cried out at me, trying in vain to prevent me from leaping to my death.

And I jumped.


End file.
